Whitbread claims they will be the first rooms in the UK that allow guests to control their hotel experience using an app, giving customers the option to book and check in online, as well as set the room temperature and light settings before they set foot in the room. That’s not all, guests will be able to select the TV or radio channel they want to play in their room when they arrive and stream content from their phone or tablet direct a 40-inch flat screen TV. Meals can also be pre-ordered using the all-in-one app.

The company plans to open five new smart hotels in the UK in the next three years, providing around 1,000 rooms, expanding to 40 locations (6,000 rooms) by 2018. We only wonder whether we shall ever see this kind of “smartization” of everything in Africa soon.